Everything involved in the construction of a wind farm

Have you ever seen a wind farm working. Wind turbines and its blades moving and generating energy. However, after all this, there is a great study of the winds, the position of the wind turbines, the necessary power, etc. In this post we are going to see step by step everything you need to know about the construction of a wind farm.

Do you want to learn everything that wind power generation entails?

Wind measurement

Obviously we are talking about wind power, so the most important first study that is done is on the wind. It is necessary to know the wind regime that blows in the area where the wind farm is to be built. It is not only important to know the type of prevailing wind, but also the speed with which it blows and its frequency.

The times used to measure the wind vary depending on the objective of the project. Measurements generally measure one year. In this way, they avoid the uncertainty of not measuring some part of the year and thus have more confidence in the data.

To measure the wind you need a trained team. It is installed at different heights to know some parameters with greater amplitude. The most commonly measured positions are blade tip, midrange, and hub height. With these three points, the wind values ​​are more accurate and useful for the construction of the wind farm. Once the measuring towers and mast have been prepared, the gauges are placed. It is usually used to measure variables such as devices anemometers, hygrometers, vanes, thermometers and barometers.

Area measurement

You have to take into account the total size that the wind farm can have, depending on the available budget. It is possible that we will find a large area with a good wind regime that would give a good return to the park, but not have sufficient financial resources to carry out the work. Therefore, it is essential know the dimensions of the planned areas construction schedule, available acreage, terrain and topography features, and some potential models of wind turbines you might have installed.

Based on these parameters, we have to set the places where the masts will be placed. In the construction of a wind farm, a specialized consultant must be present. This is because it is vitally important to define well the location of the masts and their configuration.

The investment in a mast that helps us measure the wind resources that we have is important in the first stage of the project. In addition, you need these measurements to be in accordance with the regulations and standards present internationally.

As the data is measured throughout the year, it is crucial to keep good track of measurements. Even if the mast is installed according to the standards, there may be some kind of problem that needs to be repaired. If the problem is not solved quickly, we will have a period with wrong measurements that will lead to errors.

Calculation of the performance of the park

Calculating whether the wind farm will perform is vitally important. Therefore, many factors must be considered. One of them is the correct measurement of wind resources during the campaign.

Once the measurement campaign has been completed, a database is obtained to work on. You can estimate the nominal power that the park will have, the characteristics of the wind turbines, topography of the land, etc. A more optimized distribution can also be made on the data obtained to calculate the wind farm production. With these data you can know the performance that you will have once the relevant works are completed.

The performance calculated at this stage it does not consider electrical losses associated with auxiliary installations. During the use of the park, problems sometimes arise that reduce performance. However, this cannot be predicted. It cannot be calculated how often and how often there will be problems that lead to decreased performance.

Stage prior to the construction of the wind farm

In the stage prior to the construction of the wind farm, it is necessary to inform the market conditions regarding Financing and Prices (CAPEX). For example, engineering jobs that need to be dumped must have a better understanding of the site. In addition, there are technical solutions in engineering matters and some risks associated with uncertainty that must be analyzed. All these data appear in the final investment of the wind farm.

To know in depth the probability of success of the wind farm, it is important to know a list of conditioning variables. Among these variables we find geological and geotechnical conditions, environmental, legal and territorial viability. It is also possible to analyze the accessibility to the wind farm, both by land and by ports, and to know the access conditions of the network.

Therefore, it is imperative to carry out all these types of prospecting and surveying work. It is not the same to build on a standard terrain than in a site with frequent seismic activity.

Building elements

When carrying out the construction of the park, there are differences to consider depending on the power. In addition, it also depends on whether they are swampy or rocky areas and the size of the wind turbines.

The first work carried out is civil (platforms, foundations and roads). This work usually takes between 4 and 12 months. Then the constructions to connect to the network begin. This part usually takes longer depending on the complexity of it. They usually take between 6 and 18 months. Finally, as the civil work begins to finish, the wind turbines are brought in and assembled. Depending on their size and the size of the park, it takes between 12 and 24 months.

To know how much manpower we need, we have to know the size of the park well. One with 30 wind turbines can be built by 350 people. If you only have 5 wind turbines, you will only need about 50 people.

What maintenance tasks does the wind farm have?

As the wind farm does not consist solely of wind turbines, maintenance of the entire installation is required. Maintenance tasks and their associated costs will depend on the size of the park and the design of the facilities. The higher quality in the construction stage, the lower the maintenance costs.

To have a reference, a wind farm of about 30-50 wind turbines It can be maintained by 6 people (two per wind turbine), another 2 to 6 people assigned to support the semi-annual maintenance, a general supervisor, and one or two people assigned to the operation of the generating plant.

With this information, I hope you learn everything you need about wind farms and the work they carry out.